Glendale, AZ Noise from Specific Sources: HVAC & Mechanical Noise (2026)

Sec. 25-65 lists uses and activities exempt from Chapter 25's general noise-nuisance article, and heating and cooling equipment is the first item on that list. The exemption applies only when the unit is functioning in accordance with the manufacturer's specifications and is in proper operating condition, which means a malfunctioning, poorly maintained, or modified air conditioner or heat pump is not automatically covered. Even a properly functioning unit loses the exemption if it creates an excessive, unnecessary or offensive noise causing annoyance or discomfort to a reasonable person of normal sensitivity inside any sleeping or living area of a dwelling unit, tying the standard to the effect on an occupied interior space rather than a decibel meter reading.

That carve-out matters because the baseline rule it exempts from, Sec. 25-64, makes it unlawful to make or continue any excessive, unnecessary or offensive noise that disturbs the peace and quiet of, or causes discomfort or annoyance to, two or more independent and unrelated witnesses. A rattling condenser, an out-of-warranty compressor, or a unit run continuously at a volume audible inside a neighbor's bedroom can therefore still support a Sec. 25-64 complaint even though HVAC equipment is named as an exemption category. Sec. 25-64(b) also builds in an escalation mechanism aimed at repeat calls: subsequent law-enforcement visits for the same disturbance trigger a mandatory restitution assessment for the follow-up response as a term of sentencing, on top of any misdemeanor penalty.

The noise article was adopted by Ord. No. 1567 in 1988 and last amended for the exemptions list by Ord. No. O22-81 in November 2022.